Glass melting furnace



2 Sheets-Sheet .l

L. s. LONGENECKR GLASS MELTING 1*"URILCEV Filed June 29, 1940 Nov. 3, 1942.

Nov. 3, 19426V l L. s. I ONGx-:NECKER 2,300,427 GLASS MELTING FURNACE Filed June 29, 194C 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE GLASS MELTING FURNACE Levi S. Longenecker, Mount Lebanon, Pa. I

Application June 29, 1940, Serial No. 343,188 zo claims. (o1. 4'9-54) This invention relates to glass melting furnaces and more particularly to side lired furnaces of the regenerator type. A

These furnaces generally comprise a tank for holding a molten bath of glass, a. heating chamber above the tank and having burner slots or ports along opposite sides thereof throughout the length of the melting and boiling, as well as the refining and degssing zone. No firing is done in the cooling zone and in some cases what is known as a shadow Wall is placed between the re'- Y lining and degassing zone and the cooling zone for the purpose of keeping the names from enftering the cooling zone.

the rening and degassng zone although it hasv been the tendency to vary the amount of fuel and air admitted to the different zones or to portions of the same zone.

While the prior patented art discloses at least one glass melting furnace which ls provided with what may be termed long continuous ports, so far as I am aware, such ports are not beingl used in any commercially successful furnace. The patent referred to was issued on August 4f5, 1935, and is numbered 2,910,419. @This patent also discloses at suspended roof sections over the furnace heating chamber as well as over the ports and over the regenerator chambers, but so far as I am aware, no commercial furnaces employing such ports or roofs have ever been use-d in commercial furnaces of this type.

Since these glass melting furnaces are reversed during operation, the ports not only serve to deliver to thefurnace chamber, the combustible mixture made up of fuel and preheated air, but serve as outlet ports for the hot products of corn bustion as they leave said chamber on their way to 'the regenerate: or regenerators adjacent thereto; gas as well as air regenerators being employed, if a lean gas such as producer gas is used as the fuel.

In all side red regenerative glass melting fur-f naces, in use today, so far as I am aware, the roofs are of the sprung arch type and in most of the zone, or that into the outer end of which the granular batch or glass making material is fed, is known as the melting and boiling zone. The nextor second zone is known as the refining and degassing zone while the third zone is known as the cooling zone. No'fuel is delivered into the cooling zone, since it is here that the bath loses temperature. The glass is withdrawn from the tank at the outer end of this zone.

In the melting and boiling zone, the temperature is built up to top temperature at the foam line, primarily by convection or surface heating. The heat input to the furnace heating chamber above this zone must be sulcient, to not only O- set the tank and stack losses, but to raise the temperature of the exposed molten glass bath and batch material, and those portions of the molten bath covered by such material to a temperature of approximately 2800n F. The endothermic requirements due to the chemical lreactions which occur in converting the batchl or glass making materials into molten glass must also be Satisfied. In the refining and degassing zone, an attempt is made to hold the bath at the top temperature which it acquires in the melting and boiling zone. One of the heating problems in this zone is that of obtaining sumcient depth penetration by radiation to secure proper degasslng and rening.

The heat input to the furnace heating chamber above this zone must be sutcient to offset the tank and stack losses and to not only hold the surface of the molten4 bath at the top temperature reached by it in the melting and boiling same the roofs are of the same height from end i to end of the furnace heating chamber.

The tank of a glass melting furnace with the zone, but to raise the body of the bath below the surface to such temperature as to obtain successful rening and degassing.

An object of this invention is to produce a. novel and improved construction of glass melting furnace.

Another object is to produce a novel and improved construction for the melting 'and'boiling zones, and the rening and degassing zones of a glass melting furnace of the .regenerative side red type.

Another object is to produce a noveland improved construction of glass melting furnace of the regenerative side iired type by means ol which the maximum permissible B. t. u. release may be obtained ln the meltingand boiling zone v A still further object is to produce a novel construction by means of which it is possible to obtain on the foam line the maximum permissible B. t. u. release without melting the batch or glass making material at a rate such as to produce puddles ofthe low melting fluxes.

' maximum permissible B. t. u. release required in those zones.

A still further object is to produce a glass meltshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings and as disclosed in my applications above referred to. Roof section I covers the melting and boiling zone. Section II covers the rening and degassing zone, while section I2 covers the cooling zone.

In the furnace of Fig. 1, a shadow wall I3 separates the melting and boiling zone Il from the refining and `degassing zone I and a shadow wall I6 separates the refining and degassing zone from the cooling zone I1.

In the form of furnace shown in Fig. 2, roof section II over the refining andr degassing zone ing furnace having flat suspended roof sections for the diierent furnace zones and in which the height of each such section is determined by the B. t. u. release required in such zones.

These, as well as other objects which will appear to those skilled in this particular art, I

attain by means of the furnace structure dis- Y closed in the specification and more or less diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this application.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a Ischematic view in longitudinal section of a glass melting furnace embodying my novel construction. In this view, but a small portion of the cooling zone of the furnace is shown; v

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, but illustrates a modified form of construction of furnace embodying certain features of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in plan of the furnace of Figs. 1

and 2 and is taken on a horizontal plane just above the floors of the ports with the shadow walls of Fig. 1 omitted;

Fig. 4 is a more or less diagrammatic view in ,transverse sectional elevation of a furnace of this invention and is typic'al of either the melting and boiling zone or the refining and degassing zone of the furnace of Figs. 1, V2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a more or less diagrammatic view in end elevation of one of the shadow walls such as I may employ for separating th'e zones of the furnace of this invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the port floor and roof structure as viewed from the left side of Fig. 4.

Ihe construction shown in Fig. 4 is adapted to the use of natural gas or oil as the fuel and because of this, but two regenerators are used, one oneach' side of the furnace for preheating the air.

'Ihestructureofli'ig.4isdisc1osedinanappli cation led by me on June 29, 1940, and serially numbered 343,186. If a lean gas, such as producer gas is used, a. pair of regenerators for each side of the furnace will be necessary and when suchagasisutilized,1makeuse ofthe furnace structure disclosed in an application led by me. on June 29, 1940, and serially numbered 343,187.

In each of the glass melting furnaces diagrammatically illustrated in the drawings, the roof of the heating chamber above the tank is preferably divided into threesections I 0, II and I1 and each of these sections is of the suspended type is joined to roof sections I0 and I2 over the melting and boiling zone, and the cooling zone, respectively, by inclined roof sections I8 and I3. In the furnace of Fig. 2, the shadow walls are omitted.

In both of the furnaces of Figs. 1 and 2, the tank at the batch material feeding end is provided with an extension which projects beyond the outer end of roof section III as shown in an application led by me on June 29, 1940, and which is serially numbered 343,185. The end of the furnace heating chamber adjacent this tank extension is closed by means of an end wall 20 which'is supported independently of the furnace roof and walls and is vertically adjustable as shown in said latter application.

The granular batch or glass making material is fed onto the surface of the molten bath in the tankextension 5y a batch feeder 2I, such as disclosed in one or the other of joint applications of H. L. Halbach, Waiter G. Koupal and wmiam Owen and in accordance with th'e method of said joint applications. The batch blanket 22 resulting from such batch feeding method assumes an.` outline more or less resembling that shown in.A

Fig. 3, and extends from batch feeder- 2l to the foam line which is adjacent to shadow wall I3.

The furnace chamber on opposite sides of zone I4 is provided with relatively deep continuous ports 23, since heavy firing is required in this zone and this roof section I 0 above this zone is placed at such' a height as to accommodate this heavy firing.

Zone I5 is provided with somewhat shallower continuous ports 2l, since only medium ring is required in this zone. To accommodate this medium roof section II is placed at a less height than roof section III.

Roof section I2 of the cotling zone I1 is placed at substantially the same height as roof section Il.

, In the furnace of Fig. 2, the different heights of the roof sections over zones Il, I5 and II, are relied on to secure furnace zoning. Ports 23 and 2l of the furnace of Fig. 2 are the same as ports 23 andllofth'efumaceofFig. 1.

Theseports,ifnaturalgasoroilistobeused as-fuel, will, as above stated, preferably be constructed as disclosed in my application Serial No.

343,186, and as disclosed in Figs. 4, 6 and 7 of the drawings of this application. The floor of each port is crenellated or made up of alternate hollow high sections 25 and low sections 26. The fuel, natural gas or oil, supplied by a header pipe 21 is discharged into the crenelles or low sections by means of burner orifices 28 which extend through the sides of the merlons, cops or high sections.

Ports 23 and 24 for zones Il and I5 respectively are of the same construction, but as before pointed out, are of different depths or capacities. The air for supporting combustion is preheated in Vchecker chambers 2l and reaches the ports by escalier 3 way of Auptake ues which are controlled by dempers or gates 3i. Y The roof of each port is formed by 'a suspend roof knuckle 32 which extends the full length of the port, and which in conjunction with the port floor, acts as a venturi and increases the airvelocity to a point where itis greater .than the velocity of propagation of the flame. The flame ribbon or'blanket issuing from the port iinds its anchorwithin or adjacent the throat of the venturi formed by the port floor and knuckle-like roof.

That portion of the furnace roof located between each of the knuckles 32 and theadjacent vertical or apron wall 38 of the adjacent regenerator uptakes is made up of alternately arranged courses of long tile or blocks 36 and short tile or blocks ii. The courses of long blocks in eifect provide guiding vanes which extend from said vertical walls 33 to knuckle I! and not only prevent side slipping of the preheated air stream as it flows from the regenerator uptake to the port, but combs the upper portion of the air stream into parallel sections.

'I'he suspended roof di of each generator, it will be noted, is located a considerable distance below the port door. The regenerator uptakes, which are divided into ilues 3B, are of materially less cross sectional area than manifold chamber 3l and this increases the velocity of the preheated air flowing upwardly 'through the uptake ues sufllciently to make the port floor with its cops. crenelles, and the roof guiding vanes, most effective in combing both the top and bottom portions of the air and fuel streams rinto parallel stream sections or lines of flow. The fuel streams' contact the-combed under side of the air stream with a minimum amount of interference. This improves the luminosity of the llame and also prevents any localized hot spots.

The air stream not only blankets and thus pro` tects the iurnace'roof and knuckles 32 but portions of such stream ilow through the crenelles of the port oor, and it is into these portions gat the fuel is directed through burner orinces The fuel is fed into burner orifices d by means of branch pipes tty-nich connect withl fuel header 2l and each branch is provided with a fuel regulating valve 39. The oppositely directed fuel streams (indicated at d8) entering each crenelle .of the port oor, meet.`and, deecting one an- A other, are directed toward the port outlet. The air stream portions traversingthe crenelles in which* combustion is initiated. and the denection of the fuel streams, combined with the expansion due to this initial combustion, causes the fuel and iiovving incontact with the roof of the port.

formed by knuckle l2, is deflected downwardly thereby, its lower portion comes in contact with thehorizontally tanned out fuel streams and pro- 4 duces a ribbon or blanket of flame which-comttlletely covers the surface of the'bath in front of A eport.

Dampers orgates 8l forthefluesoftberegeneratoruptakesareutilhedforvarylngthe amount of air supplied to different sections of theport. 'ihesedampersareofparticiuar-value intheuptakeiluesleadinltoports!! (theports. for the melting and boiling sone) for by using 75. furnace temperature adjacent the outgoing ports the same, and valves 3l, I in efect establish zones within each port which receive diiferent volumes of combustible mixture. These zones extend across the furnace from port to port. and the' lo above every square foot of glass or batch located therein. -As I have pointed out, the merlons or cops o the port floor comb the lower pcrtionof the air stream into parallel ilow lines, thus preventing side slipping of the stream toward either end of the port'and cause the continuous ribbon-like flame or blanket issuing from the port outlet to travel straight across the furnace chamber.

The merlons or cops serve as vanes to hold the air and fuel streams in parallel lines and direct them across the tank with a minimum of turbulency. These parallel line streams also serve as ame temperature vcontrollers by preventing too rapid intermixing of air and fuel. By intro ducing the fuel into the crenelles of my port ilcor A Iam able to operate with a much lower fuel pressure than used inthe present day commercial glass melting furnaces.

I locate knuckle 32 at the proper position to place the shadow or cold spot so that it falls on the port floor instead of on the surface of the hath directly inl front of the port as it does in the present day commercial type furnaces. cold spots are not only idle surfaces, butl are es- 35' pecially harmfulinthe boiling zone. Y

, By utilizing relativelyl long continuous portsV such as disclosed, itlis possible to rplace the point of heaviest ring so that it will at all times completely blanketthe, boiling zone and particularly fio the foam line.

Shadow Walls It and i6 are preferably'constructed as more or less diagrammatically dis-` closed in Fig. 5, and each comprises a hollow U- shaped refractory wall made up of vertically exsections 65. Beam -sections ii are supported by spaced rods il which project through openings in beams ll'carried by buckstays it, one pair only of which is shown, the other pair being located on the opposite side ofthe furnace. The upper ends oi' rods 46 are threaded to receive adiusting and lock nuts 49 and 'by means of these nuts, each shadow wall may be raised or lowered so as to position its lower face at the proper distance above the normal level of the glass bath within y the tank. v

Shadow wall ll'vdeiinitelyA separates'zone i4 from sone is whileA shadow wan e denmtely separates sone Il from sone I1. shadow walls,

35 due to the fact that their surfaces are white hot.

with their lower surfacesin close proximity to the zimtstneacn remata a, bane of intense heat which extends .across the furnace from tank eide .to tank lside. These bands of radiated heat -Qtend to cause bath to reverse its now in so 'doing-serve as skimmers and prevent any scunior unmelted .batch material from passingfro'monezonetothenext;

Invpresent day glass' 'melting furnaces, the i These portions di, a lower or bottom portion t2. and nose portions d3 which connect the vertically extending portions Aand the lower or bottom por-A tion. These shadow walls are supported by horimentally extending beams 4d which extend above v50 the furnace roof and are carried by short beam.

may be as muchas from three to four hundred B. t. u. release which the surface of the glass degrees lower than that adjacent the incoming bath will stand. ports. This applies to furnaces of normal width Having thus described my invention, what I .from port to port and the dierence may be even claim as new and desire to secure by Letters roof' section Il for this zone is placed at a lower greater in extremely wide furnaces. This in Patent is:

large measure is due to the fact that a consider- 1. In a tank type glass melting furnace, fiat able portion of the fuel passes through the outlet roof sections over the melting and refining zones half of the heating chamber. without being and which are suspended above said zones at burned. different elevations with that over the refining In order to prevent such a. condition, I prov10 zone at a lower elevation than that over the vide each roof section I and il with a knucklemelting zone, and a sloping roof section joining like depressed lportion 50 which extends along the said flat roof sections. longitudinal centerline of each such roof. sec- 2. In atank type glass melting furnace, at roof tion and establishes apoint of turbulency adjasections over themelting and .refining zones and cent such center lineA which causes an intimate which are suspended above said vzones at difintermixing of unburned-fueland air at the port ferent elevations with that overthe melting zone and thus buildsup` the,:B.t"-u, 'rfeleasethroughlocated at a higher elevation than that over the out the latter' half of fthe ame travel `across the refining zone and being equipped with a sustank or fromport-, tofpo l .jj pended turbulency creating knuckle which ex- .Meztn' n l 20 gggr lxligitudinally of said zone adjacent its In this 2011."Wllchlsnuinbeifedfll. PD Sit Y, 3. In a tank type glass melting furnace, a shadow wall Aseparating the melting zone from the refining zone and fiat roof sections :over said zone is positioned at such r 5Jseparated zones and which are suspendedtherethis zone with vlille `'Iii-tipe!" volumetic=9slaclty--faboveV at difl'erentelevations with that loverl-the for accommodatingthiS', ;h9V Y firing. Iriths melting zone at a higher elevation than that zone the temperaturejisbuiltjupl to top ltempera; over Athe refining zone and lwhich is equipped, ture at the foam-linejprimarily by surface-heat--- "adjacent its longitudinal center line, with' a deins due to convec tion-Jl The volumey f i pnding turbulenoy creating knuckle. z burned must be sufficient to offset'f't d .4t Ina tank type glass melting furnace havin Stacklosses, to raise the temperature 'ofthbthf f l oppos1te1y positioned side ports for e1ternate1y d to the top temperature at 'the 10am; line., arid-5to discharging preheated air into the furnace heatsatisfy the endothermic requirements occasioned ing chamber above the tank, fiat roof sections by the chemical reactions whichtakelplacewhen over the melting and refining zones of the tank the batch or glass making materials are conand which are suspended above said zones at difverted into molten glass. ferent elevations withl that overV the refining' Refining and degassig on zone at a lower elevation than that over the l melting zone; the ports for discharging preheated In this Zone, Wlllch is numbered l5' medium, 40 air into the refining zone being of less capacity ring only is required to getthe proper B. tu# than those for discharging preheated air into release per cubic foot of volumetriczone capacity. the melting zone. v

The' heat for Zone is only 5. In a type glass furnace having which is necessary 't0 Onset tank sind stack oppositely positioned side ports for alternately losses, to hold the bath at the top temperature dischargingpreheated an. mtothe furnace-M 4 acquired by it in zone Il, and to heat the glass ing chamber .above the tank, nat, of Seemann bath below the surfa- F01' this reason OPPO' over the melting and rening zones of the tank I d sitely positioned ports 24 are of less height and n and which are suspended above said zones at smaller capacity than Ports 23 0f Zone l- The different elevations with that over the refining 5o zone at a lower elevation than that over the elevation than roofsection I0, in order to hold melting zone; said ports being of n .length subthe shallower flame blanket generated in this stantiauy coextenswe with the length of sald zo. in close proximity tofnnt out of Contact zones with those of the melting zone being of with the surface of the molten. bath. It is greater napacity than those of the renmg zone merely necessary to hold the bath at the top ,55 6 In a tank type glass melting furnace, fiat" temperature acquired by it in Zone I4 fOr the suspended roof sections above the melting, the purpose 0f Obtaining the necessary' refining and refining and the cooling zones with the section degassing' I above the refining zone located at a different .0001171020719 'I elevation than those above the melting and coolsnedow wen le 1s1oeeted et the noeter notches 60 ins zones. and a shadow Wll located between and serves as a flame barrier between the refining the melting and refining Z0ne5- and degassing zone, and the cooling zone. This 7. In a tank type glass melting furnace. 1384 V is desirable since the molten bath is requiredto Suspended rOOf SeQtiODS abOVe the melting, the lose temperature in this zone. The temperature reflnlng and the cooling Z0nes with the Secl'flOn drops from a .temperature of approximately. above. the refining zone located at a lower eleva- 2800 F. acquired in the melting and boiling tion than those above the melting and coolingV zone (and which is held in the refining and de.. zones, a shadoww wall located between the melt-- gassing zone) to a temperature of about 2200 F., ing and refining zones, and means for support-- at which temperature the glass 'is suitable for lng Said Wall lndependdntly 0f the roof section s working or withdrawing from the tank.v l above said zones.-

By the expression, the maximum permissible 8. In a tank type glass melting furnace, nat B. t.. u. release as used herein, I mean, forthe suspended roof sections above the melting, the melting and boilingzone, the: maximum B. t. u. rening and the cooling zones, with the section release which the refractories` will stand and for above the refining zone located at a lower elevathe rening and degassing zone, the maximum tion than that above the melting zone, a shadow wall located between themelting and reiining and a shadow wall located between the rening and cooling zones.

9. In a tank type glass melting-furnace, ilat suspended roof sections above the melting, the rening and the cooling zones with the section above the reiining zone located at a lower elevation than those above the melting and cooling' v zones, a vertically adjustable shadow wall located between the melting and reiining zones, and a vertically adjustable shadow wall located between the rening and cooling zones.

. 10. In a tank type glass melting furnace, flat suspended roof sections above the melting, the reiining and the cooling zones with thesection above the rening zone located at a lower elevation than those above the melting and cooling zones, and shadow walls located between the melting and r and the reiining and cooling zones, supported independently of the roof !tions above the melting, the reilning and the cooling zones; the roof section above the refining zone being located ata lower elevationthan that above the melting zone; the .ports for -dlscharging preheated air into thereflning zone glass melting furnace, flatv being of 'less capacity-than those of the melting Zone.

" 1s. m a tank type glass melting furnace having oppositely positioned side ports for alternately discharging -preheated air into the fumata heating chamber above the tank in the melting and therefining zones, flat suspended roof secl tions above the melting, the reiining and the cooling zones; the roof section above the reiining zone being located at a lower elevation than those above the melting and cooling zones; a shadow wall between the melting and reiining zones, and a shadow wall between the renning and the cooling zones: the ports for discharging preheated air into the renning zone being of less capacity than those of the melting zone. Y i

14. In a tank type glass meltingfurnace4 having oppositely positioned side ports foralternate- -'ly lpreheated air into the furnace heating chamber above the tank` in `the melting and the reiining zones, flat suspended root sections above the melting, the refining and the cooling zones; the-roof section above the refining zone I I 5 being located at a lower elevation than those above the melting -andcooling zones: a shadow wall between the .melting and refining zones, a

shadow wall between the renning and the cooling zones; said side ports being of a length substantially coextenslve Awith the length oi the zones into which they discharge preheated air, with the ports of the melting zone of greater capacity than those of the refining, sone. 1'

15. In a tank type furnace having side ports for alternately discharging preheated air intothe furnace heating chamber above the tank, nat roof sections suspended at differentelevations above the tank dividing the furnace chamber into different zones, and shadow walls between said zones; said ports being of a length substantially coextensive with the length of said zones.

16. In a tank type furnace having oppositely positioned side ports for alternately discharging preheated air into the furnace heating chamber above the tank, at roof sections over the melting and rening zones of the tank and which are suspended above said zones at different elevations; said ports being of a length substantially coextensive with the length of said" zones with those oi' the melting zones of greater capacity than those of the rening zone.`

17. In a tank type glass melting furnace, sep arate roof sections above, the melting and retining zones with that abovelthe melting zone nat and suspended, and a shadow wall located between the melting and rening zones.

18. In a tank type glass melting furnace, separate roof sections above the melting and refining zones' with that above the melting zone flat the melting and rening zones, and means for supporting said shadow wall independently of the roof sections abote said zones. v

19. In a tank type glass melting furnace having side ports for alternately discharging preheatand suspended, a shadow wall locatedbetween.

ed air into the furnace chamber in the melting and refining zones, independent roof sections' above said zones with that above the melting zone fiat and suspended, a shadow wall between the melting 'and refining zones; the ports of the melting zone being of 4greater capacity than those of the refining zone.`

20. In a tank type glass melting furnace having side ports for alternately discharging preheated air into the furnace chamber in the melting and refining zones, independent roof sections above said zones with that above the melting-zone ilat and suspended, a shadow wall between the melting and rening zones; theports of the melting zone being of greatercapacity than those of the refining zone and of a length substantially .coextensive with the length of the melting zone.

LEVI s. LoNGENncKna. 

